Page 247 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 07 11/20/02 12:29 PM Page 236
236 The Creative Training Idea Book
Group Size
Choose activities that are appropriate for the size of your audience and ensure that
co-facilitators are planned if necessary.

Plan for Contingencies
Too often, training will not go as planned. There are often many factors out of your
control, especially if you are visiting or training in a facility that you are not in charge
of. Accept this fact and prepare for it by having a backup plan in place. For example,
if you plan to use a computer projection system, have transparencies or flip charts
available in case equipment fails and you need an alternate training aid. Know your
material well enough so that you can modify or cut things as necessary because of time
overruns or other unforeseen occurrences. This sometimes happens if your presentation
is just one of a series being offered in which other presenters or trainers go over their
allotted time, thus creating a ripple effect where subsequent trainers have to either speed
through material or go past the scheduled ending time. The latter is sure to irritate par-
ticipants and get you negative remarks on evaluations. It is always better to end early
than run over.

BRIGHT I DEA
Finding Activities
any resources exist for creative and fun activities that can be used for various
Mtopic areas. Try going to major Internet search engines (e.g., Yahoo, Excite,
WebCrawler, Ask Jeeves, or Google) and typing in key words such as icebreakers,
training activities, energizers, or creative training techniques. You can also go to
www.ASTD.org for a bulletin board on training issues. While there, you can look up
the contact person for the local chapter of The American Society for Training and
Development where you can network with other trainers and share ideas.
Several publishers focus on books and magazines in the active or creative
category. Try searching the Internet for books by the following publishers:

American Management Association
American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)

Gulf Publishing
HRDPress

Jossey-Bass
Lakewood Publications